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Former DeKalb School District 428 superintendent arrested on 'revenge porn' charges

Moeller posts $1K bail to be released less than an hour after arrest

DeKALB – Former DeKalb School District 428 Superintendent Doug Moeller was arrested at his home Friday on allegations that he violated Illinois' "revenge porn" law by distributing explicit photos of a former district employee.

[Matthew Apgar – mapgar@shawmedia.com]

Moeller, 60, of the 800 block of Carol Avenue in Elgin, paid a former student of his to buy a cellphone in South Elgin, then used it to send three photos of the woman, including one of her engaged in a sexual act, to two District 428 board members in February 2017, according to a news release from DeKalb police.

The Daily Chronicle is not identifying the person depicted in the photos because she is the victim of a crime.

[Matthew Apgar – mapgar@shawmedia.com]

Moeller has been charged with nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images and, if convicted, could face one to three years in prison. After being booked into the Elgin Police Department jail at 9:14 a.m., he posted $1,000 bail to be released at 10:10 a.m., jail staff said.

Police said that they interviewed several people during the course of their investigation, which eventually led them to the buyer of the phone, who told investigators that Moeller arranged for someone else to buy the phone so Moeller's name wouldn't be connected with the purchase.

[Matthew Apgar – mapgar@shawmedia.com]

A warrant signed by DeKalb County Judge William Brady was issued for Moeller's arrest Thursday, and he was picked up at his house about 8:45 a.m. Friday. Moeller, visibly upset, was handcuffed and placed into a police vehicle without resisting.

According to court records, the photos were sent to the District 428 board members Feb. 8, 2017, the day after the board approved its separation agreement with Moeller.

Lynnea Erickson Laskowski, director of communication and prevention services for Safe Passage, which provides a range of services to victims of domestic and sexual violence in DeKalb County, said she is happy to see such a report taken seriously.

"It's a very serious issue, revenge porn, and a lot of people don't connect it to sexual assault because it's not a physical crime," she said. "Users know that, and they think they hold a lot of power over their victims. I'm happy to see this investigated and charged in such a concrete way."

[Matthew Apgar – mapgar@shawmedia.com]

Moeller was placed on paid leave from his job as District 428 superintendent in September 2016, days after Michele Albano, his pick to be the new principal of DeKalb High School, secured an emergency order of protection against him.

In the complaint seeking an order of protection, Albano said that Moeller had become upset with her after she spurned his advances. She said he threatened to ruin her career and intimidated her with a gun.

Moeller never returned to work at the district. His official resignation and retirement date was April 30, 2017. The district agreed to continue to pay Moeller's $199,600 annual salary and benefits, including health insurance and 15 accumulated vacation days, through that time. By the time he finally left the district, Moeller had been on leave for eight months and been paid more than $100,000.

[Shaw Media file photo]

Albano filed a grievance with the board dated Sept. 16, 2016, stating that she and Moeller worked together from 2007 to 2009 in Elgin, and that he'd urged her in April 2016 to apply for an open principal job, for which she was hired. She said in the grievance that in the following months, Moeller's behavior became erratic, particularly when Albano would interact with other men. She said he would call her drunk and send disturbing texts.

District 428 board members voted to not renew Albano's contract, which expired in June.

The restraining order filed by Albano was lifted in October after she failed to appear in court. Although Albano's claims led to the removal of Moeller as superintendent, the agreement states that it “is not to be construed or used as an admission of any wrongdoing and/or liability whatsoever by or on behalf of Dr. Moeller and/or the board, as each of the undersigned expressly denies any and all liability or wrongdoing in connection with the disputed issues.”